"I could no longer make the difference" - Demi Vollering settles with stage win at Giro d'Italia Women; Anna van der Breggen happy with survival on queen stage

Stage 5 of the Giro d'Italia Women delivered immense action for hours. In the Dolomites, Anna van der Breggen's lead could not have been tested more thoroughly, but the Team SD Worx - ProTime defended her lead convincingly. Demi Vollering took the stage win, but could not take more than a moral win over her compatriot and former sports director.

“It was a long, difficult day. We started racing early and wanted to get into the break, which we managed with Lauren and Amber,” Vollering said in a post-race interview. FDJ United - Suez' tactic was to attack from early on and then have the women up front help Vollering's offensive actions.

It was not from the lack of trying, Vollering attacked several times throughout the day, with four tough categorized climbs, but could not make the difference. “She and Amber did a really great job. I was able to bridge across to Lauren so that she could continue riding at the front. In hindsight it may have been a bit early, because uphill I could no longer make the difference".

With Reusser dropped towards the finale, the two found an alliance of circumstance, as both had also realized they could not gain time on the road. But in the finale, it was the FDJ rider who sprinted to victory in a group of four.

"All in all, though, it was a beautiful day, where we raced with everything we had.” The lead of van der Breggen has been narrowed to 1 minute exactly, but one of the most dangerous stages of the race has been ticked down.

Van der Breggen in the meantime maintained the Maglia Rosa on the brutal day, hanging on well against her rivals. “The level in women’s cycling has gone up, the differences have narrowed. You can be one of the best in one race, but if you are not in top form afterwards, you barely make the top ten in the next race – or maybe not even that. It took me a while to get back to this level.”

At age 36, the Dutchwoman remains at the top, and with a level superior to what she had in her pre-retirement years - she initially retired at the end of 2021, before making a return in 2025.

“I think I am better now than in the years before I stopped. That is very motivating. I am happy to be back, but I also have to compete against a young generation that is doing very well too. I am happy to wear the pink jersey as one of the oldest riders here.”

With age comes experience and also endurance. A 146-kilometer stage in the midst of the mountains is a brutal feat, with almost 3500 meters of climbing and a peloton full of 'sharks' hunting her race lead. The Colle delle Finestre still lays ahead, but in the Dolomites, she passed the test with a perfect grade.

“It’s a mix of many things, I think. I’ve also changed a bit in terms of training style. It helps that I’m a bit older and have more experience, but I can also handle longer training sessions better. Mentally, too. In that respect, experience is an advantage.”

There are four stages remaining, the next two mostly flat in which it will be possible to recover from today's efforts. “When you’re young you have other advantages, but that’s behind me. You have to make do with what you have and who you are.”